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Non-Skater Top Expert On Ice HockeyBy JACK SULLIVAN Canadian Prat* Sport* EditorOTTAWA (CP) — John Francis (Bunny) A h e a r n e never learned to skate but he proved Wednesday he k n ows more about the operations of hockey on an international basis than any man in the business.The ubiquitous 63 - year - old Irishman stepped into the lair of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and tied its delegates in knots with a hardhitting 30-minute talk that left them speechless and wondering what all the fuss was about. If they want to criticize this bogey man in the future, they had bet-er polish up on their studies.Bunny came here from England as a man on trial. He wfcs supposed to have deked Canada’s hockey team out of a medal in the Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria, last February, with some fine manipulation of the regulations.As president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, he was a bum in spades to Canadians who have heard about this controversial figure for years.But in simple language he told Canadians, specifically d e I e-gates to the golden jubilee annual meeting of the CAHA, that they didn’t know what they were talking about—that they had better read the book.The book is the IIH Fstatutes and bylaws and the fine print showed there was no hanky-panky in Innsbruck, that Canada indeed finished fourth according to the rules.He invited — almost pleaded —for questions from the floor after his talk. No one spoke up.APPLAUSE AHEARNELater, some delegates gave their views—off the record—in interviews and, to a man, applauded Ahearne.“He gave it to us real good,” said one.“He certainly proved to us that our delegates to the IIHF haven’t been doing their work,” said another. “Our men probably went over to IIHF meetings with the idea that Canada was the birthplace of hockey and oeople had better take noice. We’ve been too complacent, there’s no doubt about that.'*Secretary • Manager Gordon Juckes of Melville, Sask., and CAHA President Art Potter of Edmonton took other views— after the meeting.“I’m glad that the delegates saw him act, said Potter.“A lot of gas,’’ said Juckes. “And what's the point of trying to argue with him”Past-president Robert LeBel of Chambly, Que., said he told CAHA officials when they returned from the Winter Games that Ahearne was correct in placing Canada fourth in theOlympic standing.A former ICHF official, LeBel said, however, that Ahearne was wrong when he said Canada has made no proposals tothe international body since 1947.Before Ahearne had finished, the CAHA was on trial.He reminded the association that its delegates had come up with only one proposed change , in the statutes in the last 17 years, and that was one in 1947 to take over the federation. And he rebuked them for their criticisms of him, and of the IIHFover the years.Some delegates looked for a head-on clash between Potter, who was at Innsbruck, and Ahearne. Nothing came of it.CRITICIZES REFEREEINGPotter opened the discussion and had his say — the refereeing at Innsbruck was “lousy’ and “as far as I am concerned our team tied for second place.’’But Bunny, waving the rule book, had the final word.Under the rules Canada finished behind Russia, Sweden and Czechoslovakia in that order.The issue hinged on the final placings in the event that two or more teams tied in points for second place. Should the placings be based on the goalspread—the difference between goals scored and allowed—involving all eight teams in the round-robin tournament, or only the top four•Ahearne was accused in some circles of jobbing Canada out of a medal.He cleared tha,t up here with the declaration: “Read therules. They’ve been in the book since 1908 with only minor changes in 1960 and 1963.”iNo one could argue against this and, undoubtedly, every one in the room knew it.He touched on tne subject of playing rules, noticed that the CAHA wanted its rules to apply in international hockey, and told the meeting bluntly that “you haven’t any.”“You have only National Hockey League rules. And the NHL isn’t a member of the IIHF.” _ _
Newspaper Details
Peace River Record Gazette
Peace River, Alberta, CA
Thu, May 28, 1964
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 03 Jul 2018
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